the thrill of sunshine, warmer temperatures and music

the words are not coming to me this week.  i blame it on contracts, being cooped up in a room with co-workers, and too much pizza.  but...good things are happening.  so, as the sign in our office states, "it is what it is."  (amen)

 

signs of spring:

• a flock of robins spotted while driving home
• the wild fluctuations in temperature (26 to 52 in the span of 3 hours)
• the buds on the bradford pear trees
• seed catelogs
• flipflops worn on warmer days
• daylight when i leave work
• the feverish desire to go to the beach, the mountains, somewhere! 
• calculation of days before good friday
• irises breaking the earth in glorious green spikes
• final storage of the christmas decorations
• mardi gras and king cakes

 

favorite things this week:

• robins
• the cute heart coffee mug on my desk
• daffodils
• aveda hand lotion freebie
• sunshine on my shoulders....and the promise of 60 degree weather this weekend
• peanut m&m's

 

today on my ipod:  all for you (sister hazel), angel mine (cowboy junkies), beautiful day (u2), hold on loosely (.38 special), brown eyed girl (van morrison), charmed (my friend steve), hooch (everything), good (better than ezra), drift away (dobie gray), florida (patty griffin), give a little bit (goo goo dolls cover), go your own way (fleetwood mac),

it's (almost) friday and i love a list

reasons that i'm glad it's (almost) friday:

• it's been a tough week with moving offices, having consultants in and just the general nature of our work and the impossible deadlines set by the feds.
• i have absolutely nothing planned and i'm pretty happy with that.
• magazine indulgences:  victoria, real simple, southern living, and a taste of the south.
• a harvest full moon.
• golden light in the afternoon.
• birthday party invitations
• news of elopements - soooo romantic
• searches for new recipes

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today on my i-pod:  sundown (gordon lightfoot), come monday (jimmy buffet), come away with me (norah jones), have a little faith in me (john hiatt), these arms of mine (otis redding), take it to the limit (eagles), because i told you so (jonatha brooke), 50 ways to leave your lover (paul simon), kiss (prince)

it's friday and i love a list

things i love about october

1.  it's cancer awareness month and the month is devoted to screenings and things that keep you healthier, longer - pay attention peeps and make sure you take care of business.  women - go get your ta-tas checked, perferably by a doctor but...you know.
2.  alabama football is in full swing and high schoolers are having homecoming.  i love all the homemade homecoming floats.  so cute.  do they still wear the mum corsages as big as their heads?  i loved those mum corsages.  i also love the high school marching band music (especially the drumline.)
3.  cooler temperatures begin to tickle our fancy - making me think that i need to pull the sweaters out of the basement to begin preparations of wearing them later in the month.  i start thinking of comfort food like apple pies, stews, and other warm treats.
4.  the fair begins next week and i'm going to cross something off my list this year *stomps foot*  i'm going to do some night photography there.  (and eat some cotton candy - just being honest there folks)
5.  the light is just prettier - lovely pink mornings and lucious golden afternoons that lead to purple dusks.
6.  halloween size bags of mini candy bars....need i say more about that?
7.  fallings leaves that rustle sweet sounds.  forget the waterfall sounds on the noise machine that just work to make me wanna go potty - if someone was able to get this sound down pat i would sleep like a baby all night long.
8.  gorgeous moon rises - especially full moons that are huge, colorful and hypnotizing.
9.  pumpkins, acorns, gum balls, and other bits of nature that are so beautiful to gather.
10.  naked trees with lacey branches.

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today on my i-pod - long train running (the doobie brothers), hold on loosely (.38 special), sea breeze (tyrone wells), good riddance (green day), stand back (stevie nicks), go your own way (fleetwood mac), slide (the goo goo dolls), the loco-motion (grand funk railroad), fallin' and flyin' (jeff bridges)

it's friday and i love a list

favorite singers:

1. lyle lovett - say what you will about his looks, the man can sing.  i heart him.
2.  patty griffin - i adore her
3.  bono - best voice ever...no, but his phrasing and tone tug at my heart.
4. angie aparo - not everyone's cup of tea...but the man can wail.
5.  etta james - 'nuff said.
6.  edwin mccain - so what that he hasn't wrote a decent song in a while.  his voice has power and conviction.  (though i was rather swoony about him at one time)
7.  rob thomas - not so much his later stuff....but if you listen to matchbox's early stuff - whoa.
8.  billy joe armstrong - though i tend to wonder about guys that wear more eyeliner than me...
9.  daris rucker - again, not the best voice in the business but, there is something about his voice that i love.
10.  shirley manson - yes...i miss her voice around the radio these days

it's friday and i love a list

ok - so by now i thought i would have a plan for our book together.  i was inspired by a design i saw and this is what i think - i want to find a recipe card like jpg that everyone can edit with either their favorite recipe, tip, quote or whatever and then everyone can build their page around that card.  what do you all think?  then what we can do then is i will receive all the jpgs and then group them into some type of order and make an index/table of contents and then "covers".  we could then publish it as a series jpgs or pdfs (i don't know which will work best for everyone yet).

i think it will be artistic, fun and a wonderful experience for all comers.  we could work together with a thought to having it done around the holiday season in december.  a gift for us?  *smile*

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now....for a list:  happy thoughts

• as i approach labor day, i am grateful for a job and a job that challenges me and makes me proud of the work that we're doing.  being without a job the previous year reminds me that it all can slip away very quickly, so i'm deeply grateful.
• tomorrow i will see the boys to school for my sister while she handles a work issue - though they will be a bit grumpy, i will be happy to see them.
• i miss my girls...but they've been at disney world and i can't wait to hear how much fun they had while seeing cinderella.
• grilled cheese for lunch
• listening to my ipod while working
• a long weekend by the pool
• shopping with girlfriends
• pretty nails
• new recipes to try
• ruby red grapefruit juice
• jeans on a friday
• rice crispy treats

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today on my ipod - all i want is you (u2), which way does that old pony run? (lyle lovett), crazy love (van morrison), champagne high (sister hazel), walking in memphis (marc cohn), if you could only see (tonic), lovers cross (jim croce), come monday (jimmy buffet), say you love me (fleetwood mac), you found me (the fray), day is done (nick drake), your song (elton john)

it's friday and i love a list

there was supposed to be a pretty picture along with this post...but for some reason since i took my tablet to nashville it's been acting like a recalcitrant little hussy.  so...no pretty picture for now.

seven signs that i'm tragically unhip...
1.  i have no idea who the "animal collective" and "lcd soundsystem" are - silly me i thought one was a sequel to a literary classic and one was something you got for your high def tv. 
2.  i'm too "old" to wear 3-inch heels anymore.  i'm more into comfort than style.  *tragic sigh*
3.  i shake my head at some of the stuff "the kids" are wearing these days.  this from the girl that rocked the hot pants back in her day.
4.  i regret my tattoo choice.   not the choice of getting it - but rather going with the whim of the time and the location.
5.  i hate texting.  there i said it.  i do - i hate it - it seems like a big waste of time when i can tell you quicker than i can type it.  i only use it in emergencies.
6.  i don't "get" twilight.  i don't think it's particularly well written or a good message for its original audiences (the tweeners)
7.  i used "hip" in the title of this list.  (i also remember the cold war, paper boys, vinyl records, and television before cable and/or remote controls)

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today on my ipod -  cinnamon girl (neil young), heartless (covered by william fitzsimmons), take me (edwin mccain), the scientist (coldplay), hooch (everything), little fire (patty griffin and emmylou harris), son of a preacher man (dusty springfield), tempted (squeeze),

i love a list

it seems i never get to this on friday anymore - this friday was particularly hectic. the last theme in my photography class was "six"....so here are six things that i love:

photography,
elvis,
bottles,
birds,
globes and
old glass doorknobs.

i hope you had a wonderful weekend.  it seems that mine was both too long and too short.  weird.

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today on my ipod -  days like this (van morrison), out of my head (fastball), aida (sarah mclachlan), midnight Rider (allman brothers), wrapped around your finger (the police), no one else on earth (wynonna judd), hard headed woman (cat stevens), i want it all (edwin mccain), if god will send his angels (u2)

it's friday and i love a list (august break version)

i would guess that post a friday post on a saturday would be the sort of thing i could do on an august break. 

favorite driving songs:
1.  take it easy - the eagles
2.  tiny dancer - elton john
3.  lunatic fringe - red ryder
4.  radar love - golden earring
5.  boys of summer - don henley

things i love about being on the road:
1. the usatoday crossword
2.  hot waffles on the breakfast bar
3. new people, places & things
4.  king bed & four pillows

things i love about coming home:
1.  the dogs greeting me at the door
2.  sleeping in my bed
3.  the box fan
4.  not living out of a suitcase

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today on my ipod - broken (angie aparo), lonesome town (rick nelson), you're beautiful (james blunt), melissa (allman brothers), amber (311), your winter (sister hazel), every little she does is magic (the police)

it's friday and i love a list (three days late and probably more than a few dollars short)

i didn't get to post my friday list, well...on friday.  so, breaking the rules...here's my friday list on monday....

reasons that summer in the deep south kinda sucks:
1.  humidity - good personal grooming habits are almost impossible to maintain if you go outside in july or august.
2.  heat - it's been in excess of the mid-90's for several days, some days right at 100. 
3.  the heat index - i think these indexes are hinky science because frankly, once the thermometer goes over 90 - it's hot...totally hot.
4.  mosquitoes - they get as big as say...a small hummingbird.  or is it they just feel that way when they land. 

reasons that summer in the deep south kinda doesn't suck:
1.  honeysuckle - the sweet scent of honeysuckle on a warm night is romantic and makes me think of first kisses in the moonlight.
2.  fireflies - they're magical as they flit across the yard.  they make me believe in fairies, frolics and happy thoughts.
3.  swimming - lakes, swimming pools - wherever.  we can usually get in the water much earlier and stay much later.  and swimming in the dark under stars?  to overuse a phrase - magical.  makes me want to be a niaid. 
4.  fresh veg and fruit - though i don't grow my own, i love fresh peas, butterbeans, squash, cucumbers, okra and the other wonderful veg of summer.  and don't get me started on peaches and plums!  yum.

things my inner child is screaming to do today:
1.    play with bubbles
2.    crack open a new box of crayons (love that scent) and color to my heart's content
3.    have pjb and koolaid for lunch (grape is my favorite flavor)
4.    nap
5.    make a clover necklace
6.    eat birthday cake for dessert
7.    play connect the dots
8.    skip up and down the long hallway at work
9.    stamp my feet when faced with work i don't wanna do
10.  splash
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today on my ipod - fugitive (david gray), wanna be startin' somthin' (michael jackson), one big love (patty griffin), these are days (10,000 maniacs, born to fly (sara evans), fireflies (lori mckenna), steal my kisses (ben harper), with or without you (u2), words (ryan adams), slow dancing in a burnnig room (john mayer)

the shot today is from this week's homework assignment and it's called "prison break"

it's friday and i love a list

states i've visited

alabama, arizona, arkansas, california, connecticut, florida, georgia, idaho, illinois, indiana, iowa, kansas, kentucky, louisana, maryland, massachusetts, minnesota, mississippi, missouri, new jersey, new mexico, north carolina, ohio, oregon, pennsylvania, south carolina, tennessee, texas, utah, virginia, washington - 31

favorite travel memories

eating apples by lake chelan, snow on the evergreens creating postcard versions of christmas trees, the sun setting over the puget sound, flying over the great salt flats, multnomah falls, the scent of evergreens near mount hood, the colors of the painted desert, the serene yet inspiring lincoln memorial, golden fields of sunflowers somewhere in the middle of texas, the taste of crab cakes at baltimore harbor, the mist over lake martin early in the morning, exploring the garden district of new orleans, a sunrise on the white sands of gulf shores (destin, fort walton, pensacola or seaside), a pond full of pink lotuses and a sunrise, the soldiers guarding the tomb of the unknown soldier at arlington, driving through the french quarter with my mom, sister and a friend while singing 'i like big butts and i cannot lie', the sound of thunderstorms outside my window in destin, driving into charleston for the first time, eating sunday lunch at lady and sons with mom, sis and kathy. 

favorite travel books

my life in france, under the tuscan sun, a year in provence, travels with charley, on the road

my roadtrip soundtrack
rest stop (matchbox twenty), grind me in the gears (edwin mccain), fast car (tracy chapman), i am (train), stay on the ride (patty griffin), free man (angie aparo), all for you (sister hazel), go your own way (fleetwood mac), only wanna be with you (hootie & the blowfish), born to run (bruce springsteen), wherever you will go (the calling), where you lead (carole king), where are you going (dave matthews band), drift away (dobie gray), fly me courageous (drivin' n cryin'), take it easy (the eagles), you can sleep while i drive (melissa etheridge)

it's Friday and I Love a List (late edition)

tonight while i was at the bookstore i found a book called listography:  my life in amazing lists.  so, with that inspiration, i will kick off with

some of my favorite books (in no particular order)
to kill a mockingbird, a tree grows in brooklyn, little women, the secret garden, where the heart is, she's come undone, in her shoes, rebecca....(and yes, i could go on and on)

favorite childhood games
jumprope, life, parcheesi, twister, pretend, tag, mother-may-i, hide and seek

and one from the book....if you could be friends with anyone, who would it be 
(i'm not picking friends i already have and family - they know i love them)
dorothea lange, henri cartier-bresson, mary magdeline, amelia earheart, maya angelou, henry david thoreau, ralph waldo emerson, emily dickenson, jackie kennedy, meryl streep, ina garten, nigella lawson, thomas jefferson, all of you that have helped me along through the years blogging, jimmy stewart, katherine hepburn, nelson mandela, diana (princess of wales), sister husband, josephine march, scout and atticus finch, alice, katherine parr, elizabeth i

one more list...just because everyone seems to like it....
today on my ipod (extended edition) - turpentine (brandi carlisle), hang (matchbox twenty), solitary man (covered by chris isaak), moon river (patty griffin), take it to the limit (the eagles), ain't no sunshine (bill withers), stuck in a moment (u2), crush (dave matthews band), here comes the sun (the beatles), give me one reason (tracy chapman)

it's friday and i love a list

the picture has nothing to do with a list...it's just a picture of my itty bitty bit having breakfast and i love it.  i look forward to fridays, for a number of reasons - including the obvious that the weekend is coming up! 

ways that i've tried to improve my life over the past year:
1.  worry less.
2.  be the kind of person that i would want to be friends with.
3.  eat better and eat locally (when possible)
4.  inject more creativity in my life.
5.  tell people that i love, "i love you" whenever i can.
6.  release the past, live in the moment, plan for a bright future.
7.  challenge myself/allow myself to fail

songs recently played (on my work iPod):
1.  you get what you give - new radicals
2.  ice cream - sarah mclachlan
3.  angel flying too close to the ground - willie nelson
4.  useless desires - patty griffin
5.  so much mine - jonatha brooke
6.  life less ordinary - carbon leaf

accomplishments this week:
1.  started photography classes again
2.  kept my cool when a webinar went horribly wrong
3.  got through the week without buying new music for the iPod
4.  washed clothes instead of putting them off until the weekend
5.  completed the budget and sent it off to the consultants

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for those that were interested in aperture and creating bokeh but had a bit of issue with lens...this is a good article about that at  blah, blah, blahg

'cause i'm a copycat (and i just wanna)

jeanine and hulaseventy have done lists this week and, i gotta tell you. i'm a girl that loves lists. i make them all the time. besides..have you seen their blogs? they're both enough to make this girl go all swoony and lust over ttv and polaroid cameras for long periods of time. i haunt the flea market and wonder if i could afford to go back to film on any kind of semi-permanent basis. plus...there's that whole no more polaroid film thing...(though i've heard there might be a chance of a miracle) *sigh* anyway...

what was i talking about?

lists.

lists help me get my job done. without lists the tedious, technical aspect of herding cats on my new job might be nigh to impossible. well, they're not really cats persay, but they sure act like them lately. you know the cats that are sitting on a porch full of rocking chairs (or out front at cracker barrel)

you will see that hulaseventy has made several lists (i really like the music one and the things that she's accomplished lately - i'm all about accomplishments and checking off the lists). jeanine today made a rather swoony list of traits. i think i let out a slight sigh at the mention of john cusack and high fidelity. (i'm still crushing on john after all these years)

so, how can i be original while totally, totally, totally ripping off fellow bloggers. (*wince) difficult right, because, well in admitting that i'm unoriginal, it really takes the wind out of the sails of originality. hmmmmmm i'm just going to mix it up a bit and see what comes out.

char's totally random list (in threes because i like three...it's a magic number)

the last three songs i listened to (made random through the magic of ipod)

• pride and joy - stevie ray vaughn
• this old heart of mine - the isley brothers
• dixie chicken - little feat

three songs that you would probably be shocked to find on my ipod (*hangs head)

• key largo - bertie higgins
• she's a bad mama-jama - carl carlton
• get back - ludicris

last three accomplishments

• sent out the last of the workgroup invitations
• figured out how to set up voting on outlook
• worked on my art journal/uploaded my daily photos to flickr

last three things i consumed (food is on my mind as it's getting near lunch)

• craisins
• coffee
• orange juice

three things i need to do this weekend

• wash clothes
• go to the post office
• babysit

three things i should do this weekend, but probably will not have time

• get the oil changed
• wash my car
• clean the catbox

three things i would rather be doing than all of this

• sitting on the beach, watching the sunset, with a ice cold drink and a smokin' hot guy
• sitting at a cafe in paris, sipping a hot cuppa with a smokin' hot guy
• sitting in a palazzo in tuscany, sipping vino with a .... well, you get the picture

three things i'm totally ashamed that i watch on television

• millionaire matchmaker
• tough love
• vampire diaries

three things i probably should watch to be cool but i don't

• lost
• gossip girl
• something on discovery

three things i want this time next year

• a paid off vehicle (this is totally do-able)
• a more creative spirit (working on that)
• a better sense of my new plan on 'living' (working on that too)

and....a random list of thoughts

• i wonder if i can make do with the cottage cheese lunch again or will i break down and buy something? i caved...i had poppy seed chicken casserole and banana puddin'
• why didn't i check my calendar before getting dressed this morning?
• do i have to go to my one o'clock dressed like this? *sigh*
• i wonder if the doobie brothers named themselves now, would they still pick that name? (long train runnin' just came on my ipod)
• i wonder how long i can type lists instead of sending the ballot out?
• probably not much longer....geez
• i so don't want cottage cheese.
• *sigh*
• i wonder how high they're going up with this building, it's beginning to block all of my light from outside.
• is it five o'clock yet. *damn*
• ohhhh. shoes.